Soul Land V: Rebirth of Tang San

"Don't cry, my precious granddaughter, don't cry. Grandpa is merely giving you some advice, not forcing you to marry Jin Miaolin. Since you don't want to, we won't compel you. However, there's something you need to consider. Can you defeat him in tomorrow's finals? Jin Miaolin has been hiding his strength deeply, and only during yesterday's match did he reveal his trump card. Even we had overlooked it. When he reported to us earlier, almost all the Emperor Sky Pillars reacted to him. That moment was incredibly shocking. In the end, he chose the Emperor Sky Pillar of the Crystal Great Demon Emperor. None of us could have predicted that his inheritance from the Crystal Great Demon Emperor was so complete, even inheriting the most important replica ability. Coupled with the divine tool he possesses, defeating him won't be easy."

Pretty Girl nodded gently and said, "I understand, Grandpa. But I will give it my all."

The Undying Great Demon Emperor said in a deep voice, "If it comes down to a crucial moment and you wish to use our Phoenix Tribe's bloodline, then use it. Although exposing it will bring some obstacles, Xi Mo and I will have rightful reasons to protect you. Even the Heavenly Fox would have to measure our combined strength carefully."

Hearing the words of the Undying Great Demon Emperor, tears finally streamed down Pretty Girl's eyes. "Thank you, thank you, Grandpa."

The White Tiger Great Demon Emperor suddenly laughed, "Silly girl, what's there to cry about? You are now a quasi-emperor, just one step away from achieving emperor status. How can an emperor cry? Hahaha!"

Pretty Girl was momentarily stunned upon hearing his words. She quickly wiped away the tears in her eyes with embarrassment and stomped her foot, "Grandpa…"

...

Tang San, after returning to his room, had now settled down. After today's match concluded, the elders of the Blue Gold Tree Clan looked at him with eyes filled with complex emotions.

It was only today that they had realized how powerful their patriarch had become. Everything seemed utterly surreal, almost like a dream.

Ever since arriving at the Ancestral Court, the Blue Gold Tree Clan elders had been experiencing unprecedented transformations that were hard to imagine in the past. From being completely ignored initially to now being the center of attention, almost every elder had become a figure admired by the masses in the Ancestral Court.

After today's match, their reverence for Tang San had grown even deeper. Although the patriarch had yet to truly ascend to emperor status, the respect the Blue Gold Tree Clan was now receiving was on par with that of the emperor descendants—perhaps even exceeding it.

Solely over the past few days, there were countless invitations, pledge letters, and similar offerings. Several smaller clans without main cities had their patriarchs personally ask if they could invite members of the Blue Gold Tree Clan to reside with them in the future. After all, there were more than forty elders of the Blue Gold Tree Clan who were above the Demon King level, while their main cities numbered only a little more than ten.

Tang San had already asked the elders to handle all social engagements on his behalf. After returning, he first relied on his memory to recall today's match against Xu Anyu and check if there were any flaws, especially during the moments he used Jingjing.

After careful recollection, he could almost confirm that no issues had arisen. After all, he was genuinely using the replication power of the Crystal Great Demon Emperor and not his personal bloodline ability. Everything was well-concealed. The standout moment was the sacred attribute's influence on the light element spirits.

Tomorrow, he would be facing Little Beauty in the finals. The priority now was figuring out how to make her recognize him without revealing too much and without alerting the emperors to his identity.

The best approach currently seemed to be first defeating her and becoming champion. Through the tournament's rules, she would nominally become his fiancée. Then, after meeting her privately—preferably outside the Ancestral Court—he could reveal his identity to her. This seemed the most secure.

But the problem he had to confront now was: if things progressed in this way, what if Little Beauty fought to her death? That would be quite troublesome.

The current Little Beauty was no longer what she used to be. The Asura God's Sword had bonded closely with her, even taking solid form. If she were to go all out, things could indeed become difficult.

If push came to shove, he might have to take a risk—either letting her notice some hints before the match or suppressing her swiftly during the fight before she decided to go all out. That would be the best solution.

At that moment, there was suddenly a knock at the door.

Tang San frowned slightly. He had clearly instructed the elders of the Blue Gold Tree Clan not to disturb him. Why would someone be knocking now?

"What's the matter?" Tang San asked.

From outside came the voice of the Great Elder, "Patriarch, apologies for disturbing you. The Dark Moon Spirit Clan's Shen Xiao, a Great Demon King, has come to visit, bringing the Essence Emperor's Order from Earth Yin. We couldn't stop her."

Tang San paused in surprise. "Essence Emperor's Order from Earth Yin? Fine, let her in." He wondered to himself—he had no relationship with Earth Yin Essence Emperor. Why would someone bearing her order come to him at this time? Who was Shen Xiao? He couldn't recall.

The door opened, and Shen Xiao walked in, clad in a blue long dress. She had deep blue hair that wasn't particularly striking but exuded a pure elegance.

The Spirit Monster Clan differed from the Monster Clan in that they often endured long years before becoming spiritual entities. For a powerful race like the Dark Moon Spirit Clan, once they ascended, they would start at the Seventh Stage or higher. If their talent wasn't too weak and their clan nurtured them adequately, they would quickly challenge the Spirit King level. This was a pivotal stage: failing to break through could mean they would forever remain ordinary clanspeople, but success would elevate them within their clan.

Upon seeing Shen Xiao in person, Tang San finally remembered her. She had once been Pretty Girl's opponent and was one of the female contestants in the rotation matches. However, she had been eliminated later. She wielded the divine artifact, Bloody Moon, and was a strong figure from the Dark Moon Spirit Clan.

Shen Xiao was now sizing up Tang San. Indeed, Jin Miaolin's appearance seemed rather ordinary, much like any other member of the Blue Gold Tree Clan. But his posture was upright, and perhaps because he had achieved quasi-emperor status, he had a distinctive aura about him. His eyes, in particular, were exceptionally clear and deep, as though holding flashes of wisdom within.

"Greetings to the Quasi Emperor," Shen Xiao said with a smile, offering Tang San a polite bow.

Tang San responded with a smile, "You're too kind, Shen Spirit King. What brings you here this time? Did Earth Yin have some instructions?"

Shen Xiao let out a chuckle, "Shen Spirit King? That sounds almost like 'nervous king.' Quasi Emperor, just call me Shen Xiao. Aren't you going to invite me in first?"

Tang San couldn't help but laugh. This one was certainly forward. He gestured courteously and said, "Please come in."

Shen Xiao followed Tang San inside the room, sitting naturally and gracefully on the sofa, exuding an air of composure.

Tang San took a seat on the sofa opposite her.

Shen Xiao simply watched him with a faint smile but said nothing.

What was this supposed to mean? Tang San was a little perplexed and had no choice but to take the initiative. He asked, "Is Her Majesty here to discuss future arrangements for my clan elders being stationed somewhere?"

Shen Xiao replied, "Something like that. But Her Majesty believes that in the future, Patriarch Jin will undoubtedly take good care of my clan. After all, we are all part of the Rihchen Empire."

Tang San did not correct her. If the Blue Gold Tree Clan remained neutral, he wouldn't technically belong to the Rihchen Empire. He simply nodded.

Shen Xiao's eyes shifted as she asked Tang San, "Her Majesty actually sent me to ask, what plans does Patriarch Jin have after tomorrow's tournament ends?"

Tang San hesitated for a moment and replied, "No particular plans. I'll probably return to my clan first to make some preparations. After all, now that my clan is neutral, there are many matters that need handling and many things to prepare for."